My earliest, clear memory of the then-imminent pandemic was almost exactly a year ago, during an early-morning visit to a hotel gym. I was attending a business conference in Austin, Texas. As I peddled away on a stationary bike on February 27, I read the news on my phone. In…
During the summer of 2019, my cousin married a Parisian woman. The wedding was in Paris and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend. We arrived several days early to be able to spend some time exploring and experiencing Paris. It was a phenomenal week. On the first…
A few years ago, as we were about to try an Italian wine during a guided tour in Italy, the tour guide taught us how to clink glasses over drinks. Most of us, when we tap the other person's glass, look at the glass to make sure we are tapping…
Happy New Year! This has been a horrible year for all the reasons I don't need to list here. Nonetheless, as I have done for quite a few years, here are some of the experiences I enjoyed this past year: what I listened to, what I read, what I watched,…
With so much suffering this year, it can feel awkward to talk (or write) about silver linings from the pandemic. Nonetheless, it can be helpful to think about them as part of a practice of gratitude. Last week, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, the Morning Brew newsletter solicited from their…
Last year I wrote about my primary takeaways from listening to Arthur Brooks in conversation with Simon Sinek at an event I attended. The conversation, as I outlined in a prior post, was about the way we can heal our divided world by practicing an approach of loving your enemies…
The Wall Street Journal published a really good piece explaining why being kind helps you, too. As the piece explains, “research links kindness to a wealth of physical and emotional benefits – and it’s an excellent coping skill for the COVID-19 era.” You may not be able to read the…
Chadwick Boseman’s death came as a shock to the world. He had many fans, as made clear when the announcement of his passing on his Twitter account became the most retweeted post ever. Boseman was only 43 and died of colon cancer. He was very young to have been afflicted…
In 1977, when my grandfather passed away at what then seemed like the ripe old age of 73, he had what was called senility. I remember visiting my grandfather in a nursing home. I remember helping him stay on the right page at religious services—services he previously had known like…
This past Friday, I “attended” a funeral. My dear friend’s mom passed away from COVID a couple of weeks ago. From many miles away, my friend coordinated the funeral her mother would have wanted, with a full Catholic Mass. Observing safe social distancing practices, a very small number of people…
Among the many e-mails, articles, blog posts, and other attempts at inspiration I have received during the COVID-19 crisis, two have stood out. One came to me from the Lodge at Woodloch, an outrageously wonderful, high-end spa resort where I’ve had the good fortune of being the guest speaker a…
I've been writing COVID-19-related articles for the last few weeks, and I likely will continue to do so in the coming weeks. I don't write about weight loss, other than to say if you want to lose weight, eat less and exercise more. My focus is on healthy eating, and…